New Brunswick, NJ — New Jersey Health Foundation (NJHF) has awarded another $50,000 Innovation Grant to researchers at Princeton University, announced James M. Golubieski, president of NJHF.

Grant recipients Yibin Kang, Ph.D., Princeton's Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Molecular Biology, and postdoctoral research associate Mark Esposito, Ph.D, are working to develop combination therapies that could target specific metastatic cancer cells to lower the chances of cancer's spread, or metastasis, after treatment.

They will use the funding to identify and evaluate compounds that can target metastatic cells.

“If successful, this research could potentially transform the current landscape of how cancer patients are treated,” explained George F. Heinrich, M.D., vice chair and CEO of New Jersey Health Foundation.

​“It is a perfect project for our Innovation Grant program, which is geared specifically to advancing breakthrough research that demonstrates commercialization potential to offer improved and focused treatments and cures for people around the world.”

Through this New Jersey Health Foundation program, Innovation Grants of up to $50,000 each are available to full-time faculty and personnel at five major research universities in New Jersey— New Jersey Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Rutgers University, Rowan University and Stevens Institute of Technology.

“We are grateful for the continued support of New Jersey Health Foundation," said John Ritter, director of Princeton's Office of Technology Licensing.

"This Innovation Grant will enable Prof. Kang and Dr. Esposito to further develop their exciting research program, with the goal of one day having a novel therapy that will improve the lives of cancer patients everywhere.”

About New Jersey Health Foundation

New Jersey Health Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation that supports health-related research and education programs in New Jersey through its Grants Program and its affiliate, Foundation Venture Capital Group, which makes private equity investments in health-related start- up companies in New Jersey headed toward commercialization.